During this free, half-day PR workshop, made possible by event sponsor Dean Foods, participants learned to hone their branding and messaging, media relations, digital marketing and social media skills with tips from the experts, like WFAA’sRon Corning and PaperCity Magazine’sJane Rozelle. This event was planned purposefully to help nonprofits maximize their efforts to tap into North Texas Giving Day, which is Sept. 17, from 6 a.m. to midnight.

This will be the seventh year for North Texas Giving Day, and it has become an integral part of many area nonprofits’ donor engagement strategies. This year, there are more than 2,100 participating nonprofits and $2.4 million in bonus funds and prizes available. Last year, North Texas Giving Day encouraged 98,000 gifts totaling $26.3 million to 1,580 nonprofits. The bulk of those gifts came from donations less than $100, and 27% were from first-time donors.

Here are some of the best tips and tricks covered during the workshop:

Messaging and Branding

Focus on donor engagement in all regards. Who are your past donors? Who is involved with your organization—volunteers, staff and board of directors? Include specific calls to action in all the organization’s messaging, and remember to thank donors after the event. Get creative!

Media Relations

If you’re promoting an event, keep in mind producers won’t want to highlight events that are already sold out or that their viewers can’t afford. Be proactive with social media – reporters appreciate content to share!

If you’re local to the area or see a cause that resonates with you, we encourage you to join in on the action for #NTXGivingDay. But, as a reminder, these nonprofits need your help all year round. Consider giving your time, talent or money to your favorite organization on more than just one day a year. Here at LPR, we are all individually involved on a regular basis in different organizations. We even volunteered together this summer at Vogel Alcove. We hope you’ll give and get involved, too!